Nissans have been good to us. I still miss the XTerra which is the one I liked best.

But the Nissans I admire most are the old beaters we see in Mexico, like the one pictured above. It’s now being used by a construction worker who is extending our patio. Faded signs on the doors indicate it was once used by a company of some sort. Many of the taxis here are Nissan Tsurus, a boxy car reminiscent of Volvo, that goes forever. Nissan should feature these wonderful, well-used vehicles in their ads.

I have owned many Nissans (Datsuns originally). I never owned a Toyota. Why should I buy an inferior car. I’ve worked at both companies. I worked at Toyota in the days before they lost their “way”. The recent recalls are evidence of how badly they’ve gone astray. I was working there when I bought my first Infiniti (Nissan’s luxury model). I could have gotten a helluva deal on a Lexus, but why would I want a boxy, underpowered substitute for a good luxury car. Interestingly, Nissans are more popular in other parts of the world such as South America and many parts of Europe. The only reason Toyota has outsold them in the U.S. is because of the marketing. I still remember my first Nissan, actually a Datsun 510 Sedan. Now, imagine this: it had MacPherson struts (very sophisticated independent suspension) when Toyota was still building cars with solid rear axles (a la Model T Fords). No, I don’t get it either. I don’t know, but the last time I looked, Honda was still building Civics with solid rear axles. Their popularity is even more perplexing. Oh, by the way, the Nissan V6 is recognized as the best of its class in the world.

Author - Darlene Jones

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